Britannica Web sites

Rachel Carson was an American scientist and writer who studied the natural world, especially the sea. Her book Silent Spring convinced many people that the environment needed better protection. For that reason, she is sometimes called the mother of the environmental movement.

(1907-64). Drawing on her childhood fascination with wildlife and the sea, American biologist Rachel Carson became a scientific writer whose works appeal to a wide range of readers. Her enchanting book The Sea Around Us, published in 1951, was a best-seller and the winner of a National Book Award. Her prophetic work Silent Spring (1962), about the dangers of pesticides in the food chain, created worldwide awareness of the dangers of pollution.